Set in 1959 and the present day this is a story of family in its different forms. In 1959 four sisters go to stay with their aunt and uncle, their stay overshadowed by the disappearance of their cousin Audrey five years before. In the present day Jessie moves to the same house with her husband, resentful stepdaughter and young daughter but finds that her dream house comes with a haunting past.

Obviously an important element of the story is what happened to Audrey and how her disappearance affected those she knew, but the examination of the bonds of family are just as important. The four sisters are unbreakably bonded together and Jessie is trying to build a family which includes her furious, grieving stepdaughter who resents Jessie for taking her dead mother's place. It's a very family-orientated novel with elements of mystery. I read it in one sitting and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Eve Chase’s second novel The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a dual timeline story about mothers and daughters, sisters, secrets and grief, which switches between 1959 and some fifty years later when new owners move in to the house at the centre of a tragic local mystery.

Eve Chase’s gorgeous writing quickly drew me in to The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde; she conjures up Applecote Manor and its grounds, both as they were back in that heady summer of 1959, and in their current state of neglect as new owners come in and slowly bring the place back to life over the changing seasons. It’s been left with much of the previous owners’ furniture and possessions in situ, making it even easier to imagine this as a place unable to break free from its past or local superstition.

In the earlier time period, I found the relationships among the four Wilde sisters, affectionately dubbed the Wildlings by their Uncle Perry, interesting, especially seeing how the dynamic between them shifts over the course of the book. They’re certainly plunged in to a difficult situation. That this is likely to be the last summer which the sisters spend together before their futures start diverging, only adds to its poignancy.

There are sisters in the modern-day section too, which contrasts nicely with the sibling relationship of the Wildlings that is tested that summer of 1959. It’s not clear how close their more contemporary counterparts are in reality until they, too, are put to the test but factors such as their age gap, being part of a blended family and some worrying sleepwalking all have a part to play, as does the core mystery.

Eve Chase deals with loss and grief in both timelines of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde; in the past, we see parents grieving their missing daughter, Audrey, with Sybil and Perry’s coping mechanisms polar opposites. Once the four Wildlings arrive on the scene, Sybil’s grief takes on a disturbing and heartbreaking new focus. In the contemporary sections, teenager Bella is grieving her dead mother, something which new stepmother Jessie finds difficult to navigate. Both the dead daughter (and cousin) from the past and the dead mother in the present-day are hard acts to follow; paragons of virtue by which everyone else is measured, with their youth and beauty preserved forever in photographs.

I found this symmetry between the sisters’ relationships and those of the mothers and daughters in both past and present was something that worked well and helped to give a sense of balance to The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde. (Although I did have a slight preference for the storyline set in the 1959 heatwave because it felt more atmospheric.) I also liked how the mystery was handled between both timelines. Eve Chase paces the suspense beautifully until she’s ready for the reveal and brings characters together from the past and present to reach a resolution.

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a haunting, richly evocative dream of a novel, filled with suspense and secrets. I’d definitely recommend a visit to Applecote Manor.

An excellent read for fans of psychological thrillers or crime books - a gripping story, engaging characters and it was well-written. I would highly recommend!

I approached this book with trepidation as it seemed (from the cover) a little bit twee for me, however I was engrossed and hooked from early on. An absolutely superb book.

This did take me a while to read and I found it really hard to get into. It is written across two timelines - one set in the 1950's following 4 sisters spending their summer at the Aunt & Uncles house Applecote Manor, and the other in the present following a couple who had moved from London and bought over Applecote Manor. 

One day their cousin Audrey Wilde leaves to go fishing and is never heard from or seen again. Years later her cousins The Wildling Sisters come to stay while their mun is away and at first they struggle as they don't know how to act around their still grieving aunt and uncle, but soon they settle into a summer filled with adventure, lust & love.

In the present day timeline Jessie has moved her blended family from London to Applecote in an attempt to remove her step daughters dead mother memory - ok that may be a bit harsh but it clear that Jessie is still feeling threatened by a dead woman and her step daughter Bella is really not helping and quite frankly a bit of a spoilt bitch about it all. Jessie hopes that the move will bring them all together but her husband Will still travels back and forth to London so she finds herself more alone than ever with a step daughter who hates her for moving them all the way in to the countryside. Shortly, after the move Bella starts to find things left behind by the former inhabitants and starts to hear talk in town of the terrible past their current home has.

The switch between the timelines was a little clumsy at times and I sometimes wondered to what point, certainly the Wildling story was by far the most interesting and Chase captured the era perfectly and the teenage angst of love etc. The mystery was slow building and felt the last few chapters we rushed in an attempt to tie up every loose end there was in the book.

A familiar scene of two timelines, the 50’s and present day run through this book. They are linked by a family house in the Cotswolds, family relationships and certain events that take place during a hot summer in 1959. A clever and enjoyable read

Hauntingly beautiful and evocative this is a perfect book club pick, as well as a true escape. You’ll be swept away in this stunning novel. I loved it.

This is just a slow, steady read. I didn't find it particularly interesting or engrossing. It plods through and doesn't seem to get anywhere.

This is such an enjoyable book to read at a leisurely pace especially if you are on holiday. The story line is mysterious and relatable in a weird kind of way.

A lovely old house in the country and an unresolved tragedy link the modern story of a young wife and the issues of her complex family with the events which happened to four young sisters caught in the time loop of a long hot summer decades before. The characters are so beautifully drawn that we really care about the challenges they have to face. The prose is full of clever observations which keep the reader amused and engaged. Although often introspective, there is quite enough storyline to keep this novel both compelling and enchanting.

I LOVED this book. Love, love loved it! I always enjoy books that take place in the same location but split across different times and this was no exception. It was quite haunting and I found myself getting a little scared at points (I'm just a wuss though!). I'm not sure that I expected the ending to go the way that it did, but I think I enjoyed it better than how I thought it may go. Very beautifully written and I'd love to read something else by Eve Chase.

Creepy and atmospheric, and I loved the sections set in the 50s. The setting of the old house was intriguing and the two stories worked well together. Overall a good slice of historical fiction.

A sad story of a family loss. and the on-going impact of just what happened five years before, and how the parents of Audrey coped.

I am not always a fan of literature set in the 1950s as it is some ways not far enough away to count as historical, but not near enough to be contemporary, yet this novel was so well written that it got over that reluctance. It described the Cotswolds well -  I have visited often and so am familiar with it, and even contemplated living in one of its villages, but far too expensive now!

I enjoyed the story and thought the style good. I am not sure though that I would read another novel set in this period.

This is a beautifully written mystery story, a classic tale of interwoven eras and events, with excellent character development. A very enjoyable read with bite. Would recommend to older teenagers upwards.

Then in the Summer of 1959 and the Wilde sisters, Flora, Pam, Margot and Dot go to stay with there aunt and uncle at Applecote Manor in the Cotswolds. Five years earlier there cousin Audrey disappeared. Now, Jessie, Will and their two daughters buy Applecote Manor to start a new life.

This book is a dual story about the two families in different times but both connected by the vanishing of Audrey. I really enjoy theses type of stories, which are very much like books by Kate Morton.

This story drew me straight in with the opening chapters with the sister's and what is happening, the dragging of a body. I very much enjoyed the sections of the story devoted to the sisters which is narrated by Margot. The part of the story devoted to Jessie and family is told in the third person. Both timelines do come together and all is resolved.

For me these type of stories are like putting on a pair of comfy slippers. I enjoy the mystery and like to get involved with the characters. I am sorry to leave the sisters lives.

I really enjoyed this book very much but felt the ending did come together a little bit too nicely with everything wrapped up. This is not always a bad thing but sometimes it's nice to have a little twist. However the book was still a good enjoyable read.

The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde is a well-written story split between decades.
In 1959, sisters Flora, Pam, Margot and Dot are sent to stay with their Uncle and Aunt in their beautiful country home, Applecote Manor, while their stylish, dramatic, widowed mother goes to Africa for the summer.
Back in the modern day, Jessie along with husband Will, daughter Romy and step-daughter Bella are viewing neglected Applecote Manor as potential buyers. The house is a project; one that needs time and money to make it into the beautiful home they envisage. They take the plunge and buy the house knowing only the name of the woman who lived there before them, Mrs Wilde.
As Jessie and her awkward, difficult, stroppy step-daughter Bella uncover the story of the house, we are taken back to 1959 with Margot as our narrator, walking us through the long hot summer when the girls called the Manor their home. In 1959, the girls are still revelling in the shocking disappearance 2 years earlier of their cousin Audrey. The same age as Margot at the time of her disappearance, one moment she was there, the next she was gone without a trace. Audrey’s parents are still scarred and devastated by the disappearance of their daughter and live for the day they hope she’ll return to them.
Margot is intrigued by the disappearance and is drawn to Audrey’s old bedroom and the secrets it may hold.
As the summer goes on, Margot is sucked more and more into Audrey’s world whilst lazing the days away with her sisters.

Without a doubt, my favourite part of this book was the girls and their bond. 4 sisters, each a strong and confident woman of their own, are even stronger as a group. Their relationship is loyal, strong and unbreakable. I loved this little group and how real they felt.

Jessie’s relationship with her step-daughter Bella is truly tested as she finds out the history of Applecote and she can’t help feeling that the old building has an eerie and mysterious atmosphere. Trying to cope with her own families problems whilst uncovering an unsettling history has of the place she now calls home, Jessie feels her family is falling apart.

The book is so well written and beautifully developed. I much preferred the parts set in 1959 but as a whole, the book is really good. Not a five star for me, but still very very enjoyable, I loved reading The Vanishing if Audrey Wilde and would definitely recommend.

Thank you to NetGalley, Eve Chase and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

I hate to say it but I was a bit disappointed with this book. The opening was chock full of punch and I was just settling in to enjoy a thrill ride when all of a sudden the pace slows down and the story snails towards the end so much so that I found myself forcing myself to finish it off.

In essentials the story centres around the beautifully gothic Applecote Manor and two sets of inhabitants 50 years apart. The chapters chop and change between the decades without much indication of which set of people you are following and I had to keep flicking back a few pages to work out who I was now reading about.

In 1959 the house is populated by 4 sisters - so thinly sketched that I can barely remember their names. The action focuses on one of the sisters in particular and her actions in the wake of the disappearance of her cousin - the Audrey Wilde of the title, who feels almost incidental to the events rather the focus, though to be fair it is her 'vanishing' that is the catalyst for what happens in the story.

Fast forward 50 years and the house is now lived in by a family escaping London. Again, the characters are thinly sketched and their names escape me - but this time we have mum, dad and two step sisters. The eldest daughter is still struggling with the loss of her mother and enjoys antagonizing her new step mother but despite her initial reservations she wants to discover the houses secrets.

The story's bump together in places but I just didn't care enough to try and work out what had really happened to the unfortunate Audrey Wilde - in the end it was distinctly uninteresting.

Atmosphere in abundance it really lacks in storyline and character depth.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy in exchange for an honest review.

An extremely enjoyable book that flits from 1959 to now in a flowing away. The book is based around a house; two different era's but with both families having problems.
What secrets lie dormant in the house and the surrounding land?
Can the present day help the problems from the past?

This book is cleverly written. It’s the story of two families living in the same house at different times. Firstly in the 1950’s Audrey the daughter of Sybil and Perry Wilde goes missing presumed dead. Then in current time a second marriage for Will sees him buying the house for his family. The stories run parallel to each other but also cross into each other’s lives. I found this book a little slow to start with but once I got into it I enjoyed it.

I am currently developing a section of the school library that will present a diverse and eclectic range of contemporary crime, mystery and thriller novels. This genre has been so popular in terms of what is being borrowed, but I feel like the young people are sticking to 'what they know' in terms of titles or writers that they've already heard of or have seen their parents reading. My mission is to include more novels like Audrey Wilde and improve the range and diversity of fiction that they can choose from in order to expand their reading horizons. I absolutely loved this book. It kept me gripped from the very first page and without giving away any spoilers, was a fascinating, intense and satisfying journey. I think that the young people will love its distinctive voice as well as be gripped by the story and intrigued to follow it to its tense conclusion. I recommend this book to anyone who is looking for intelligent, credible writing with a powerful sense of place that won't let you go. You should definitely treat yourself to a copy of The Vanishing of Audrey Wilde